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Sun Valley Concept - Digital Rendering

The continued partnership of The Greenway Foundation and Denver Parks and Recreation has constructed and opened two new parks (Pasquinel’s Landing and Grant Frontier), initiated the re-design of one of the oldest river parks (Globeville Landing), begun planning and design of two great new public spaces along the River (River North Park and the RiNo Promenade), and led a monumental effort to fund the cleanup of historic pollution at the site of Denver’s birthplace (Confluence Park).

Throughout the process, the scope and budget of this suite of transformative projects has continued to grow, adding new funding partners and pushing the total budget of improvements to almost $40M. This is an amazing time in the history of Denver’s South Platte River, and we’re not done yet!

Project details

The goal of the River Vision Implementation project is to make the South Platte River corridor the premier outdoor recreation destination and an environmental educational resource for the city and the state.

The overall project includes three related projects that will enhance sections of the South Platte River and the parks along its banks from West Harvard Avenue in south Denver downstream (north) approximately three miles to West 3rd Avenue in central Denver. All of the projects proposed in this initiative are priorities in the River Vision Implementation Plan (RVIP), completed in 2011 with solid public support.

Thanks to a generous GOCO grant for $4.1 million, and public/private matching funds of over $10 million, the resulting $15 million project is expected to break ground in the Fall of 2013 and be complete in 2015.

Confluence Park – Shoemaker Plaza Reconstruction

The Reconstruction of Shoemaker Plaza was one of the greatest challenges of 2016, as well as one of the best success stories. The project involves rebuilding the original plaza to improve bike and pedestrian flow, create better access to the river and develop vibrant new gathering spaces at the site of Denver’s birthplace. However, being along the River in one of the oldest parts of the city also raises the chance of finding material from Denver’s industrial past.

Two months into construction coal tar, a byproduct of historic industrial activity, was found during routine excavation along the river bed. The project was on hold for 16 months while the team addressed the design, permitting and financial challenges that coal tar presented. This contaminant fundamentally changed the water control and soil export methodology for the project and ended up doubling the construction cost when all was said and done.

During this time, TGF was a critical advocate for the project, reminding all involved that the cost of mitigating the coal tar was the price to be paid for the legacy of dumping and pollution along the City’s River. Ultimately multiple City Departments came together to secure the additional funding and construction restarted in late Summer of 2016. The collective efforts of TGF, DPR and many other partners resulted in one of the best success stories of 2016, doing the right thing for Confluence Park, the S. Platte River and for the City itself on the site where Denver was born.

The confluence of the South Platte River and Cherry Creek is the historic birthplace of Denver. The revitalization of the River began in the 1970’s with the construction of Shoemaker Plaza, the regional trail and the cantilevered ramps.

The Denver Urban Waterways Restoration Studyis a project to identify restorative improvements to three major urban waterways (Harvard Gulch, Weir Gulch, and the South Platte River from 6th to 58th Avenues) in the City and County of Denver: sponsored by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Urban Drainage and Flood Control District (UDFCD), City and County of Denver (CCD), and the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB). Learn more.

Ames Construction will be starting construction activities for the Globeville Landing Project Phase 1A in mid-late December. Phase 1A includes the construction of all drainage infrastructure. This phase of the project is expected to be complete in Spring 2018. This phase of construction will be followed by the construction needed for the park amenities (Phase 1B), which is expected to be complete in Fall of 2018.

The first construction activities will include fencing of the construction site which will limit access in the Globeville Landing Park as well as reduce parking in the Coliseum parking lot.

Grant Frontier Park

With construction completed in December 2016, the re-opening of Grant Frontier Park marks the end of the initial $16.5M phase of RVIP. Like Johnson Habitat, the Florida Drop Structure and Pasquinel’s Landing before it, Grant Frontier has been immediately embraced by the surrounding communities, and continues Denver Parks’ commitment to improving amenities and expanding park programs in historically underserved parts of the City.

The re-design of Grant Frontier is all about telling stories. A series of narrative threads intertwine in the design, much like the braided channel of the river itself. The very structure of the park tells the story of how we measure and manage the River’s seasonal flood levels. A series of terraces mark the elevations of the 2-year, 10-year and 100-year flood elevations, which in turn describe the ecological zones from aquatic to riparian to upland. The thread of history is expressed in the Montana City interpretive area, which tells the story of the first pioneers to settle along the Front Range. Winding through all of these threads is the story of recreation and natural play, from the regional trail improvements to the boat-launch jetty to the nature themed play experiences. Grant Frontier Park weaves a rich tapestry from these themes, creating one of the richest park experiences along the S. Platte River.

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Continuing the legacy of River access, as envisioned for the South Platte River Greenway in the 1970’s, is a cornerstone of the River Implementation Plan. Boating, tubing, fishing and wildlife watching in an urban environment are the focus of Grant Frontier Park and Overland Regional Park improvements.

River North Park

Once a run-down industrial backwater almost no park space to speak of, the River North area (RiNo) has emerged as one of the most exciting and fastest developing neighborhoods in the City in recent years. As with any great neighborhood, high quality park space is a critical component that provides health and wellness infrastructure, accessible public space to gather and celebrate, and a strong identity that reflects the values of the surrounding community. The new 3.5 acre River North Park will serve all of those roles for the RiNo neighborhood.

River North Park represents the next generation of park design within Denver’s park system: integrated seamlessly with the neighborhood, embodying the gritty quirkiness of the industrial history and serving as the platform/stage/studio for the RiNo Arts District. Like all of Denver’s river parks, River North will reconnect the urban neighborhood to the Greenway corridor, the ecology of the S. Platte River and the regional trail system. The park will have standard programmatic elements (fields, playground, gathering spaces) but the design and material selection will express the neighborhood’s contemporary aesthetic. Most importantly, the design takes an adaptive reuse approach to the existing buildings, transforming them into flexible spaces for community gatherings, cultural programming and even a public art studio ‘Maker’s Space.’ The Arts District’s engagement with the park and commitment to the creative programming of the reused buildings will result in a park experience unlike anything else in Denver, and will become an exciting and dynamic stop along the S. Platte Greenway.

RiNo Promenade

Construction Budget: TBD
Construction Schedule: TBD

The RiNo Promenade is envisioned as a linear walkway along the east bank of the S Platte River in the River North Neighborhood, and will be unique experience within the City, inspired both by the historic esplanades of Europe, modern river walks in American cities and other contemporary linear parks like the Highline in New York City.

The Promenade will use 6-8 blocks of the existing Arkins Court ROW to create a series of spaces between the RiNo neighborhood and the S. Platte Greenway. The character of each space will depend on the adjacent land uses and permeability of access. They include an Urban Residential stretch on the south end, a Park/Open Space segment in the middle near River North Park and a Mixed Use/Entertainment zone to the north which will include adjacent food/beverage and arts/cultural uses.

The aesthetics of the Promenade will reflect the contemporary industrial look and feel of the RiNo neighborhood. Some of the Arkins Court roadway will remain with strategic removals of asphalt to provide space for landscape, seating and programmatic areas. The Promenade will be eclectic and dynamic and may include movable planters or other elements that can be reconfigured to create a range of spaces for a variety of activities. And most importantly, the Promenade is intended to blend with the adjacent land uses, blurring the edges to create a seamless pedestrian experience, a lively and interesting corridor to walk, sit, eat and be entertained, all in the heart of Denver’s funkiest neighborhood overlooking the S. Platte River Greenway.

The proposed promenade will run between 29th and 38th Streets and can serve as a linear park for the neighborhood providing a place for leisure, outdoor recreation, connection to the river, and flexible festival space.